


A Measure of Worth

by just_one_of_those_days



Series: The Times We Save Each Other [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex meets Maggie's aunt, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Maggie Sawyer Backstory, Poor Maggie, The feels, the feels guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 18:03:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10746960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_one_of_those_days/pseuds/just_one_of_those_days
Summary: A follow up to "Anniversary" (though you don't really need to read it to understand what's going on), Maggie and Alex take a trip to Blue Springs so Maggie can visit her aunt. A couple of lovely readers of "Anniversary" asked to see Alex meet Maggie's aunt, so here it is!





	A Measure of Worth

**Author's Note:**

> Unsurprisingly, this one got away from me. It's a full 1200 words longer than Anniversary was. To anyone who was awaiting this fic, I am really sorry it took so long. This one was like pulling teeth, and I'm honestly not sure how good it is, even though my wonderful husband assures me it's "perfect" (he's seriously the best, you guys, I'm so lucky). I did work on a few other fics while I wrote this one, but honestly, it took a long time because it was difficult for me to write. That being said, I really hope anyone who reads enjoys, and if you're so inclined to comment or leave kudos, it gives me all the warm fuzzies.

Alex stood, bag in hand, in front of Maggie, hand raised and ready to knock. She had just found the courage to actually move her fist when Maggie darted under her with a key in hand. Alex stared at her, amazed at her own stupidity as Maggie fitted the key, and that is how Maggie’s aunt found them when she opened the door.

“I heard the car pull in,” she said by way of explanation as she raised her eyebrows at her niece.

Maggie straightened with a comical speed and stepped forward to hug her aunt. “Hi, Aunt Pam.”

“Hi, baby girl, I missed you,” Pam said. She returned the hug with vigor, swaying in place and closing her eyes. She was minimally taller than Maggie, and though she shared Maggie’s darker skin tone, her eyes were a bright blue and her hair was a lighter, more honeyed brown.

When they broke apart she focused on Alex and smiled. Alex smiled back upon finding Pam shared Maggie’s dimples and stepped forward to offer her hand.

“I’m Alex,” she greeted.

Pam’s grip was firm and the handshake short, but her voice was warm as she said, “Pamela. It’s wonderful to meet you. Please, come inside.” She held the door wide for them and directed them to Maggie’s old bedroom.

“Go ahead and get your things settled, Maggie, and I’ll meet the two of you in the living room. I’m just finishing up the tea.”

Maggie leaned in and kissed Pamela’s cheek and nodded before leading Alex to the back of the house. Her room was painted an off-white, and the furniture was solid and understated, a matching set save for the extra cot that had been set up. Alex looked around in confusion; the only thing in there that seemed like Maggie was the large Barenaked Ladies poster on the far wall and a few trophies that sat on top of the small bookcase. These Alex walked over to examine, smiling when she found they were for marksmanship competitions.

“Where’s the rest of your stuff?” Alex asked, thinking of her own bedroom back in Midvale littered with her childhood mementos.

“A landfill somewhere, probably,” Maggie answered as she set their bags down on the bed.

Alex stared at her. Maggie sighed. When Maggie didn’t clarify, Alex spoke again. “What do you mean?”

Maggie put her hand to her forehead. “Can we—can we just not talk about this right now? I’m not in the mood.”

“Of course,” Alex said, walking over to her and giving her a hug. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Maggie said. She leaned into Alex and gripped her tightly back. “I’ll tell you the whole story; but Aunt Pam is waiting for us.”

Pamela was setting down a platter of tea on the coffee table when Alex and Maggie entered the living room.

“Your home is lovely, Pamela,” Alex said as she sat down on the couch. Maggie took the chair next to her aunt.

“Oh, thank you, Alex!” Pamela gushed. “Tea?”

Alex had drunk hot tea maybe three times in her life, but she accepted the cup as if she had been waiting her whole life for it. Maggie took her own and added sugar and milk from a small saucer. Alex copied the additions and was surprised to find she enjoyed it; the milk cut the bitterness from the brew and the sugar sweetened it while enhancing the flavor.

“So, Alex, you work with the FBI?” Pamela said as she leaned back into her seat.

“Yes,” Alex said. “I’m based in National City and fortunately, I don’t have to travel much.”

“That is fortunate,” Pamela said, surprise coloring her voice. “I imagine that most FBI agents do have to travel.”

Alex nodded, shifting in her seat and glancing at Maggie. The look on her face was pure apology, and Alex was glad her aunt could not see it. “I’m a bit of a special case, but my work is classified, so I can’t say much about it.”

Pamela smiled, but it was not as wide as before. “Of course, I’m just glad you work in law enforcement, like Maggie. I’m an ER nurse, so I understand the difficulty of juggling such a demanding and important job and a relationship. It helps tremendously to be with someone in your field; it makes all of the canceled dinners easier.”

Alex nodded. “Absolutely, we have some experience with that, right Maggie?”

Maggie laughed. “Yes, I remember a certain concert vividly.”

Alex groaned. “I know, I know. I’m sorry.”

Maggie shrugged. “It’s alright; you made it up to me.”

Alex blushed—hard—and Pamela raised an eyebrow. Alex thought a cup of tea had never looked so interesting. Maggie rushed to fill the increasingly awkward silence. “Aunt Pam, did I tell you that I met Supergirl?”

Alex’s head snapped up, eyes wide. Maggie ignored her panicked look as her aunt’s attention was focused on her. “No,” Pamela said reaching out to swat her niece, “you didn’t tell me that. How exciting! What is she like?”

“Breathtaking,” Maggie said immediately. “She’s so strong, and intimidating, and yet she’s so kind. It’s unbelievable.” The awe in her voice made Alex’s insides twist uncomfortably, even though she _knew_ Maggie didn’t have feelings for Kara.

“I imagine she is incredible,” Pam said, but she snuck a sympathetic look at Alex. “How did you meet her?”

“During the attacks on the President,” Maggie said.

“I thought that’s when you met Alex.” Confusion leaked into Pamela’s voice. “You never mentioned Supergirl.”

Maggie looked over at Alex, and the flash of heat in her eyes made Alex squirm. “I was distracted.” She looked back at her aunt. “I met Supergirl and Alex on the same day. Only one of them was really worth talking about.”

Alex melted. She slumped back into the couch and stared at Maggie simultaneously blushing and fighting the urge to cry. Pamela preened, gushing in Spanish over her niece. Whatever she said made Maggie blush and respond shortly in kind. Still smiling, Pamela turned back to a (finally) composed Alex. “I forgot to thank you, Alex, for buying Maggie a ticket home. It’s been too long since I last saw her.”

“You’re welcome,” Alex said. “I hope me being here isn’t an intrusion.”

“Of course not.” Pamela reached out to put her hand on Alex’s knee. “I’m just happy to have the chance to meet you. Maggie’s never brought a girl home before.”

“No pressure, then,” Alex joked as Maggie let out a low warning at the same time. “Aunt Pam…”

It earned a laugh from Pamela. “None at all,” she assured Alex. She opened her mouth to continue when a loud beeping stopped her. “Shoot,” she muttered as her hand automatically went to her belt to detach her pager. “I’m sorry, Maggie, the best I could do today was to be on call. They usually don’t because I’m thirty minutes away, but,” she sighed, “here we are.”

Maggie stood with her and gave her a hug. “Don’t worry about it. Go save some lives.”

Alex stood too and Pamela surprised her with a long hug. “We’ll talk more later,” she promised Alex.

“Absolutely,” Alex said, wondering why the notion scared her.

Then, Pamela was striding out the door and driving away and Maggie was stretching and yawning. “I’m feeling a nap, Danvers, how about you?”

“Yeah,” Alex said. She felt drained and jittery and unable to process anything anymore. She followed Maggie back to the bedroom, tossing her jacket onto the desk chair and pulling back the covers on the sleeping cot. Maggie snorted, already curled up on her old bed.

“Get over here, Danvers.”

Alex didn’t even pretend to put up a fight, she just climbed onto the bed and then over her girlfriends body. Once lying down, she gathered Maggie up and pulled her close like a child would a puppy, ignoring her grunt of discomfort. Maggie’s warmth lulled her to sleep in seconds.

They woke a couple of hours later to Maggie’s alarm. Alex stretched as Maggie swung her legs over the side and stood. “You hungry?”

Alex yawned and nodded. Maggie led her into the kitchen and began to raid her Aunt’s fridge. She gasped and pulled out a plate of large empanadas, looking a little too much like Kara with potstickers for comfort. Alex looked at the plate and hated herself for her next words. “Don’t you think we should wait for you aunt on those?”

“I hate it when you’re right, Danvers.”

Alex took the plate from Maggie’s hands and returned it to the refrigerator. “Come on, let’s find something else.”

Maggie settled on grilled cheese sandwiches and she ordered Alex to sit at the island while she cooked. Alex obeyed, head propped up on her elbow, staring at her girlfriend’s ass as she moved around the kitchen

“Don’t do that to me, Danvers,” Maggie warned as she finished gathering the ingredients.

“Do what?” Alex’s question sounded innocent, but her grin was not.

Maggie pointed a spatula at her face. “Look at me like that.”

“You can’t blame me for staring at the hottest woman I’ve ever seen,” Alex said, keeping her voice an octave lower than usual.

Maggie groaned. “You agreed, Danvers: no sex during the trip.”

“Yeah, but you never said I couldn’t flirt with you.”

“A loophole that I am closing now.”

“Aww, come on, Maggie,” Alex leaned over the counter so she could murmur in Maggie’s ear. “You know you like it.” She then resumed her former position so she could watch Maggie’s eyes darken and skin flush.

Maggie let out a slow exhale. “You’re going to pay for that, Danvers.”

“I can’t wait,” Alex murmured, her pulse skyrocketing at the prospect of the new game.

Maggie chuckled and shook her head. “Come over here and cut this cheese for me.”

Alex smirked at her victory and rounded the island as Maggie handed her a cutting board. She was just reaching for the cheese when Maggie whirled on her, trapping her against the counter and yanking her head down for a demanding kiss. Alex made a noise of surprise, her eyebrows reaching for her hairline, before she submitted to Maggie’s lips. There was little else she could do; Maggie had used the surprise to her advantage, pinning her despite her height disadvantage and using her advantageous position between Alex’s legs to grind against her core. Alex moaned. The kiss was bruising and addicting. Maggie’s tongue swept the inside of Alex’s mouth and she kept biting and sucking on Alex’s lower lip. Alex reached for her, wanting to touch every inch of Maggie’s gorgeous body, but as soon as her fingers grazed bare skin beneath Maggie’s shirt, Maggie pulled back. “No, Alex.”

Alex ripped her hands back as if she had been burned. She could feel the flush on her face beneath Maggie’s hands and her lips were already swelling from the rough kiss. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked as soon as she caught her breath.

Maggie closed her eyes, her own breath heaving. “No, babe, you didn’t do anything wrong.” She grimaced and stepped back, running her hands through her hair. “It’s just this place, I—every time I come back here I feel like I’m walking back into the closet.”

Alex nodded and reached out to take Maggie’s hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I promise, no more flirting.”

The look of gratitude on Maggie’s face astounded Alex. _What did she think I was going to say?_

“Thank you, Alex,” Maggie said. She punctuated the declaration with a light kiss on the lips, which Alex steeled herself against deepening.

Alex waited until Maggie had turned around to start cooking to ask. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Predictably, Maggie stiffened and her voice slit the air like a sharp blade. “Talk about what, Alex?”

“Why you feel like you're back in the closet, even in your aunt's house, when she clearly accepts you? Or, maybe why you suggested your things are in a landfill? I'm not picky, Maggie, dealer's choice.”

Maggie flipped the sandwich she was cooking, waiting for the fresh sizzle of butter to die down before she spoke. “When he was done screaming at me about how filthy I was, and how I was not allowed under his roof again, my dad handed me a trash bag.”

Alex was confused, but she waited Maggie out as she stared down the grilled cheese in front of her, shoulders hunched in a way that made Alex ache to hug her. “It was for my things. For my clothes and anything I wanted to take with me that would fit. He drove me here and left me on her doorstep holding a trash bag. And then he probably went home and threw out everything else. So really, the worst day of my life ended right outside that door, and as supportive as Aunt Pam has been, there's nothing in the world that can erase that.”

“What did your mom do?” Alex asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Maggie laughed, short and humorless. “She called my aunt.”

“But you always said your dad kicked you out, you never said anything about your mom.”

Maggie sighed and let her shoulders slump as she plated the sandwich and placed it front of Alex. “I'm not sure if my mom ever really cared who I dated. All I know is mom and dad were both old-school Catholics, so really, it didn't matter how mom felt. Dad's feelings and the Old Testament were enough.”

Alex ignored the sandwich. “So she didn’t try and stop him.”

“No. She made sure I had somewhere to go after Dad kicked me out, but she never stuck up for me, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Maggie’s voice had gotten quieter and quieter during the exchange. She removed the pan from the burner and turned off the heat, not bothering to pretend like she could continue cooking. She leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms as if to hug herself. Her cheeks were wet with tears. Alex went to her and pulled her into a hug, rocking her gently. “I’ll always stick up for you, Maggie, and I’ll always protect you. I love you.”

Maggie sniffled and hiccupped against her chest. “I just don’t understand why they didn’t. Why wasn’t I worth it?”

Alex’s grip tightened. God, how she wanted to call Winn, get an address, and smash some heads in. The ignorant fucks. “You are worth it,” she said to Maggie. “You have always been worth it, and it’s not your fault they can’t see that. You, Maggie Sawyer, are the kindest, smartest, bravest person I know.”

Maggie huffed in disbelief and pulled away, but Alex tugged on Maggie’s hand, forcing her to look up. Alex captured her jaw with her other hand. “Hey, no, you don’t get to run away from me when you’re hurting. And you especially don’t get to run away from me because you don’t believe me when I’m telling you how amazing you are.”

Maggie grimaced and murmured, “There’s not much to tell, Danvers.”

Alex shook her head and gave her girlfriend her softest smile. “Maggie, from the moment we met, you have assumed that I have feelings for you because you helped me realize I’m gay. Ever since you kissed me in my apartment, I think there’s a part of you that’s been waiting for me to walk away. To realize that you’re not enough, that my feelings for you are entirely based on my coming out. You’ve got it backwards. I don’t have feelings for you because you made me realize I’m gay, I realized I’m gay _because of my feelings for you_.”

Maggie shook her head. “Danvers, we barely knew each other when you came out. What feelings—”

Alex cut her off by backing her against the island. Maggie’s hands automatically went to rest on Alex’s hips. Alex brought her own hands up to cradle Maggie’s face. “I knew you were the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen, and you were tough. You didn’t back down when I confronted you at the airport, and you didn’t run when Kara and I rescued you at the warehouse. And, on top of that,” Alex smiled and shook her head, “you were so smart. You figured out I was DEO and started working with me instead of against me because you knew that was the best play. I’ve never met anyone who can keep up with me at a crime scene like you can, and you helped me see aliens as people who need protecting instead of just criminals. You’re the only person who’s ever figured out that Kara is Supergirl without being told.”

“Her disguise is a ponytail and glasses!” Maggie burst out.

Alex laughed. “I know, I know. Believe me, I know. But that’s not the point of this conversation.” Alex took a deep breath. “Maggie, you were special to me from the moment I met you. I fell for you so hard I could barely catch my breath. Watching you kiss someone else gutted me. _Of course_ I came out; I couldn’t let you get away.”

Maggie’s breath hitched, and she blinked away tears. “You’re not—” she had to stop and clear her throat. “You’re not going to leave?”

Alex held Maggie’s gaze for a moment and brushed her hair behind her ear. “Maggie, unless you tell me to leave, I’m not going anywhere.”

Maggie nodded fiercely and leaned forward to embrace Alex. Alex molded Maggie to her and let her cry. It was a while before they moved from that spot, and even as Maggie went to make new grilled cheese sandwiches, Alex stayed close by as if to remind her of her promise. They retired to the couch together, content to watch whatever was on television and spend time together.

Pamela returned to the house well after nightfall, clearly exhausted. Alex and Maggie were still on the couch, Maggie’s head in Alex’s lap as she slept soundly. Alex waved Pamela on to the kitchen where a plate with an empanada sat waiting for her and then gently disentangled herself from Maggie.

“I’m sorry we didn’t wait for you to eat ours,” Alex said in a low voice as she entered the kitchen. “We weren’t sure when you were going to get back.”

Pamela smiled as she picked up her plate and gestured Alex to follow her. “It’s no problem, Alex. I’m sorry I got called in, and on your first day here, too!” She led Alex out onto the back porch, grabbing a glass of wine on the way.

“Duty calls,” Alex noted as the two of them sat in opposing lounge chairs.

Pamela didn’t respond right away. She ate her empanada, seemingly content. When she was done, however, she leaned forward and studied Alex. “Yes, it does. I wonder, how often does it call on you?”

Alex frowned. “What do you mean?”

Pamela sighed and shook her head. “It means that you’re the first girl Maggie has brought home, which means you’re important. And I remember the day that the President was attacked. I remember because I called Maggie, and when she picked up, she was frustrated because a Secret Service agent named Alex Danvers had just kicked her off her crime scene.”

Alex blanched inwardly, but kept her expression blank. “I’ve never worked in the Secret Service.”

“Right, because you work in the FBI. She told me that too, when she called me a day or two later to gush about the two of you working together. I remember her saying, ‘You remember the FBI agent I told you about—Alex—the one who kicked me off my crime scene?’ I don’t think she remembers she ever told me anything different about your occupation.”

Alex could feel the panic clambering its way through her chest. She could not figure out where this was going, and clearly, Pamela was not done.

“So, I knew three important things about you before you arrived, Alex. One, that my niece cares a lot about you, and don’t think I discount that fact. Two, that you lied to her at least once about your occupation, and three, since badges are hard to fake to other people with badges, that she has lied to me about it for you. After you arrived, I learned two more vital things about you. One, that whatever you do for a living has forced you to stand her up on dates, and, two, that you care a lot for her. Given all of those facts, I have two questions for you.”

Alex nodded, feeling ever more out of control of the situation.

“Does Maggie know what your real job is?”

Alex nodded again.

“What are your intentions with her?”

Alex blinked and then frowned. She had been so sure Pamela was about to ask what her job was. “Excuse me?”

Pamela’s eyes narrowed. “Maggie has been through emotional hell because of her parents. I was almost surprised she was able to have functional relationships after what they put her through. Of course, most of those relationships have ended badly as well, and that hasn’t helped her. She was with Emily for five years, and I know she had some serious feelings about Danielle, the woman she was with before you, as well. I didn’t meet either of them, and I think that’s because she didn’t expect them to last, even if she didn’t realize it. You’re different. She hasn’t been this happy since she was a child, and I’m so grateful to see it. Maggie deserves this kind of happiness, and I want nothing more than to see the two of you continue to find it in each other. But, I won’t see her heart broken again, so I want to know how serious you are, and to make sure you understand how vulnerable she is.”

Relief flowed through Alex as she answered. “I want to marry her.”

Pamela raised her eyebrows, but she was smiling when she leaned back in her chair, dimples on full display. “Well,” she said, “I can’t say I was expecting that.”

Alex shrugged. “You wanted to know how serious I am. I’m not planning on asking anytime soon, but I love her and I want to marry her someday, when we’re ready.”

“When you’re ready, I have no doubt she’ll say yes, Alex.”

“Yeah?” Alex asked, smiling at the thought.

“Absolutely,” Pamela confirmed.

Alex let Pamela finish her wine in silence, contemplating a perfect proposal. She would have sat there for hours were it not for Pamela’s touch letting her know she was going inside. Alex followed and knelt down in front of Maggie to wake her up.

“Hey, Sawyer,” she murmured. “Come on, it’s time to go to bed.”

Maggie made a noise of discontent, but opened her eyes. She reached out and cupped Alex’s face, running her finger over her lips. “It’s not nice to wake someone up, Danvers.”

Alex’s breath caught and she felt the flush race up her neck to her face as she glanced over the couch to where Pamela leaned against the hallway doorframe. “I thought you said no flirting,” she reminded Maggie.

Maggie laughed and sat up. “I did, sorry.” She stretched, yawning, and Alex deliberately looked away. “Come on, Danvers,” Maggie said as she stood. “It’s time to go to bed.”

Alex rolled her eyes, prompting a laugh from Pamela, but followed Maggie back to the bedroom. After the door was closed, however, she pulled her girlfriend in for a kiss, no-flirting-and-sex rules be damned. It was long, slow and heated, earning her a perusal from Maggie when she finished.

“What was that for?” Maggie murmured.

“Because I love you,” Alex answered.

“Oh,” Maggie said, as if the notion surprised her, “well, okay then.” She pulled Alex in for another kiss before adding, “I love you too.”

Alex laughed and hugged her, so happy to know exactly where she was headed in life. “Come on, Maggie; let’s get ready for bed before I forget that we have a no-sex rule in effect for this trip.”

Maggie sighed. “That rule was a terrible idea, Danvers; I don’t know why you insisted on it.”

Alex glared at her and pointed to the door. “Just for that, you get to change in the bathroom.”

Maggie grinned but complied, leaving Alex to change in the comfort of the bedroom. She had just snuggled under the covers of the cot when Maggie came back in and unceremoniously dumped her clothes on the floor.

“Alex,” Maggie said, sighing, “get out of that damn thing.”

Alex hesitated. A nap when Pamela was out of the house was one thing, all night was another, and she didn’t think Pamela would go to the trouble of setting it up if she didn’t want it used. “I think it would be better if—”

Maggie walked over and yanked the covers off of her. “What Aunt Pam doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

Alex felt like she should resist, but she really didn’t want to sleep in the cot and she really wanted to hold her girlfriend, so she transferred over to the bed and held the covers wide. Maggie turned off the lights and crawled in. Alex tugged her closer and breathed her in, letting the Maggie-vanilla scent calm her and then she smiled.

“Hey Sawyer,” she whispered.

“What?”

“Cute pyjamas.”

“Shut up.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thank you!! I hope you enjoyed. I do have at least one other fic planned for this series, so if you're liking what you're reading, there is more to come. I named Pamela after a woman who hosted me in Chile for 6 weeks while I studied abroad in college, and in honor of her and one of my favorite places in the world, I gave Maggie a Chilean heritage. If you've never been to Chile, they drink tea like the Brits do and are a Catholic heavy country, which is where those details came from. I was really excited to write the last scene between Alex and Pamela because I wanted someone to stick up for Maggie, to give Alex a bit of a shovel talk, because I have such a soft spot for her and because canon-wise, there's no one in National City to do it. Again, thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!
> 
> *Update*: I forgot to mention this video when I originally posted this, but it was where I got the idea of Maggie having to pack her things into a trash bag. Please watch it, because children should not have to feel worthless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PUHvNLdvHo


End file.
